Have You Seen Purple Paint on a Fence Post in Texas? Here’s What it Means

If you think there's only one sign that denotes your are trespassing in Texas, you are sorely mistaken and I'm glad you've found your way here. Have you ever been hiking, driving, camping and spotted bright purple paint on trees or fences? It's not backwoods graffiti. It's actually a symbol for private property and that a) there is no trespassing and b) in states like Texas, it is lawful to be shot on site.

Texas landowners are allowed to mark the perimeter of their territory with bright purple spray paint, rather than spending tons of money building a wall or a fence. It is understood that purple paint means no trespassing.

AWM.com explains that states like Texas with strong and unpredictable weather patterns have a rough time keeping 'no trespassing' signs up during wind storms and landowners needed another way to mark the outskirts of their land.

With the purple paint law, landowners can spray their paint and then not have to worry about the upkeep of the 'sign'.

The law has been in effect in Texas for some time, but it originated in Arkansas back in 1987.

So if you've seen purple paint on a fence or gate in one of the following states, now you know you've probably broken the law. But let's just be happy no one was trigger happy.

The states that have "purple paint law" in affect are as follows:

Texas

Illinois

Missouri

North Carolina

Maine

Florida

Idaho

Arkansas

Montana

Arizona

Kansas

According to Texas Geocachers, purple paint "must be vertical at least eight inches long and one inch wide.